Reminiscence
by Julianne Nicole
Summary: A simple bar of sea salt ice cream brings back some wonderful memories for Zexion.


_**~Reminiscence~**_

One day, Zexion overheard one of the many conversations between Axel, Roxas, and Xion about their sea salt ice cream at the end of each day atop the Twilight Town clock tower. When suddenly, he was taken back in time by a simple memory. A memory of his times as an apprentice of Ansem the Wise. Back when he was somebody. Somebody called Ienzo.

++++++++++++++ _**Four years ago**_ ++++++++++++++

The young Ienzo sat in the lab-rary, the laboratory/library that Ansem had designed. He sat watching Even, the scientist of the apprentices for whom he was an assistant. He was laughing at Even, for he looked so funny when he was yelling.

"Aaargh! If that's not the answer, I don't know what can be! Yet another experiment gone wrong because of one _stupid_ variable!" The scientist tugged at his long blonde hair. Normally, it was smooth, but when he got angry it would always get the slightest bit of frizziness in it. Ienzo couldn't help but laugh even harder. Even stopped his roaring tirade immediately, and turned to look at the boy.

"What? What's so funny?" Even asked, trying desperately to smooth out his hair.

"Nothing." Ienzo tried to force himself to stop laughing.

"Since you think it's so funny, let's see you try it, kid." Ienzo just stared at him. "Go on. Hop to it, then."

Even's young assistant went over to the experiment table and started working on it. '_Poor kid.' _Even thought. '_If a well-educated, experienced scholar of my genius can't figure it out, then a mere child like him most definitely cannot.'_

"I've solved it!" Ienzo said.

"See, I knew it would be too hard for y- Wait. You what?" Even was stunned.

"Look. I've got the answer." Ienzo proudly showed Even his work. "You were right all along. You just recorded a number wrong." Even didn't know what to say. Finally he spoke up.

"You know, for a kid your age, you're surprisingly intelligent." Even said.

"Haha! Thanks, Mister Even!"

Just then, Dilan walked in.

"Master Ansem says it's time for dinner." He reported to the two.

"Alright. We'll be right there.

++++++++++++++ _**Later that day**_ ++++++++++++++

Later that day, Even was sitting on the front steps of the apprentices' building in Radiant Garden. He saw two boys that appeared to be slightly older than Ienzo's age playing frisbee and eating... something that Even couldn't identify. One had emerald green eyes and very spiky red hair. The other had a relatively deep shade of blue as his hair color, with soft green eyes.

"Here! Over here! Throw it!" The redhead shouted at his friend. He caught the flying disc and threw it back.

"Ow! Lea, get a better aim! You always hit me!" The blue-haired boy said after being smacked in the head with it. He threw it back again.

"Isa, maybe you're the one that needs to get a better catch!" The redhead said, continuing to eat. "And eat your ice cream. It's gonna melt." He threw the frisbee again, but this time it flew off again, nearly hitting Even. Even caught it and approached the boys.

"Kid, you really do need a better aim." He said, handing it to the redhead.

"See, Lea! I told you!"

"Oh, be quiet." He told his friend. "Hey, I'm Lea. That's L-E-A. Got it memorized?"

"Uh... I guess." Even wasn't sure if this kid was always this cocky, or what.

"And I'm Isa." The other boy spoke.

"What? You're not gonna spell your name?" Even inquired.

"Huh? Oh. No, that's just him." Isa said, pointing toward Lea.

"Anyway, I'm Even."

"Hm. I'll commit that to memory." Lea said.

"It's nice to meet you." Isa added.

"By the way... What is that stuff you guys are eating?" Even asked.

"Oh, this?" Lea said, holding up the partially-eaten blue ice cream bar. "This is sea salt ice cream. It's salty, but it's real sweet, too."

"It's our favorite. We eat it everyday." Isa nodded.

"Why?" Even asked.

"Well, cause we're best friends." Lea replied. "It's the icing on the cake to a perfect day!"

"Even if it wasn't a perfect day, ice cream with friends always fixes it!" Isa said.

"Hm... So where do I find sea salt ice cream?" Even wondered out loud. They took him over to a small ice cream stand, then they left to finish their game of frisbee. Even bought two sea salts, then returned to the apprentices' building.

Meanwhile, Ienzo was in his room, reading out of a large book of fiction. This book was one of his personal favorites. Even walked in, and asked Ienzo to follow him. Even lead him to the front steps of the apprentices' building. They both sat down. Even handed Ienzo an ice cream bar.

"Here."

"What is it?"

"Sea salt ice cream." Even began to quote Lea and Isa. "It's the icing on the cake to a perfect day. Even if it wasn't a perfect day, ice cream with friends always fixes it." Then they eat their ice cream in silence for a while.

"So, does that mean you and I are friends now, Mister Even?" Ienzo asked him. He thought for a second.

"Hm... Yeah. I guess it does, kid."

++++++++++++++ _**Present time**_ ++++++++++++++

Zexion had secretly followed Axel, Roxas, and Xion out of the Castle That Never Was to the ice cream shop. He got two sea salts, then returned to the castle. He went to the castle's lab-rary That Never Was, where Vexen could always be found. He slid a bar of ice cream across Vexen's desk to him. He looked up from his latest experiment at Zexion.

"The icing on the cake to a perfect day." The chilly academic stated.

"Even if it wasn't a perfect day, ice cream with friends always fixes it." Zexion finished for him. Vexen gave a slight smirk.

"Thanks, kid. I'm gonna take a break from science for right now. Where'd you wanna go to eat this ice cream?"

"I have someplace." Zexion opened a dark corridor, and they stepped through. It teleported them to Radiant Garden, right on the front steps of the old apprentices' building. They sat on the steps and ate their ice cream. That day was the first of many in a new routine for the two friends.

That same day, as Saix was going back to his room to retrieve his headache pills for the pounding in his head caused by yelling at Demyx for playing his _stupid_ sitar, he found a small box taped to his door. Within the box was an ice pack, a bar of sea salt ice cream, and a note. Saix read the note.

_"Here ya go. The icing on the cake! -Axel"_

The normally angry Saix mellowed down quite a bit. As he ate his ice cream, he smirked. Saix felt around the side of his head. _'Yep'. _He thought. _'I still have that frisbee bruise!'_

Soon, Xemnas wanted to know what his Organization thought was so great about sea salt ice cream. First Axel, Roxas and Xion. Now Vexen, Zexion, and Saix? What was going on. So he tried it. He loved it. He began to buy one every day. Soon, it caught on to Xigbar and Xaldin and Demyx. Then Lexaeus and Luxord. Finally Marluxia and Larxene. After that day, each member of Organization XIII bonded over sea salt ice cream.


End file.
